Battery of electrolytic cells.



PATENTED APR. 16, 1907.

PJFINLAY.

BATTERY 0F ELECTROLYTIC CELLS.

APPLICATION FILED IEB.12, 1907.

FEETS-SHBBT 2.

W h F M, 5 R U m W T g U/ A w b PATENTED APR. 16, 1907.

Nm 85G,867.

R; H. F. FINLAY. BATTERY 0F ELECTROLYTIC CELLS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.12, 1907.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

\MITNEESEE lNvENTU R FObcnf 1447B l bns ihe 17/1/67 y" ATFD RNEYS No. 850,867. P'ATENTED APR.16, 1907. a. H. F. PINLAY. BATTERY OP ELECTROLYTIC CELLS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12, 1907.

' 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

' HTT NEYE.

- press the several cellstogether ROBERT H. F. FINLAY, OF BELFAST, IRELAND:

BATT ER Y OF ELECTROLYTIC CELLS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 16, 1967.

Application filed February 12, 190-7. 7 Serial No. 357.036.

Be it known that I, ROBERT HUGH FOR SYTHE FINLAY, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 54 -Ulsterville avenue, Belfast, Ireland, have invented new and useful Improvementsin or Connected with Batteries of Electrolytic Cells, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements inor connected with batteries of electrolytic cells of filter-press form, by means of which certain advantages are obtained.

A cell forming part of a battery constructed under myinvention embraces three ch ambers, hereinafter termed the electrolytechamber, the "anode-chamber, and the cathode-chamber, respectively, the electrolyte-chamber being situated between the anode-chamber and the catl'1odechamber and separated from them by diaphragms.- The electrolyte-chamber is supplied with electrolyte through a suitable inlet and preferably under regulated pressure; The electrolyte passes into the elcctrolyte-chambcr, then through the diaphragnls, and into the anode and cathode chambers, which are fitted with suitable outlets for the products of decomposition of the electrolyte. In practice I build up a number of such cells into a single battery, mounting them within a frame somewhat after the mannerol an ordinary filter-press with tightening-gear to Then the cells are built up into a battery in this way, instead of providing each cell with a contain ing vessel or case l sometin'les find it convenient to machine off the sides of the plates constituting the electrodes and the diaphragms at their outer edges and put in distance-pieces at these parts, so that the spaces within these distance-pieces and between diaphragms andelectrodes shall constitute the chambers or parts thereof hereinbefore referred to. In a preferred form I make the anodes of a number of rods or other shaped pieces of carbon clamped or otherwise held )y plates of wood or other insulating material and the cathodes of plates of iron, preferaoly provided with grooves, corrugations, or their equivalents.

Both sides of the electrodes; may be used electrically, and suitable inlet and outlet passages are rovided for dealing with the electrolyte an the electrolytic products.

trolyte-chambr greater than that in the anode or cathode chambers.

In my battery Iprovide the lates, frames, and diaphragms with orifices w iich, together or with short tubes, constitute continuous tubes and by means of which liquids or gases may enter and leave the cells. The surfaces of such continuous tubes may be insulated or otherwise protected when desired. These tubes, with the pipes at the ends of the battery, constitute a complete circulating system. This com lete circulating system eme braces three tu ular circuits, of which the end pipes form necessary parts.

I shall now proceed to describe the preferred form'of my invention, and for the purposes of such descri tion I shall assume that I am dealing with t e brine of common salt. This form is illustrated in the accompanymg drawings, of which- Figure l is an elevation of a cast-iron cathode Fi 2 a section on line a; a: of Fi 1 Referrhu to Fi s. 1. and 2 1 is a cathode of' rast-iron having projections 12 cast thereon. 'lhese pro ections exist on both sides of the plate and are preferably, though not necessarily, staggered. "-3 3 are shoulder-frames by means of which the cathodes are supported in alrame, as Ill be hereinafter described.

4 5 6 4- 5 6 are oril ices which when the battery is lifted up constitute tubes, as (lesoribed herein. 7 7 are the leads for the electric current.

In Figs. 3 and 4, which illustrate an anode, 8 8 are the anmiewarlmus supported in orilices in the sides 9 of the anodeframe. This frame consists, preferably, of teak im iregnated with parallin and constructcal wit upper and lower bars 10 11,let into the sides 9, as shown, and the whole bound together by ties 12. v13 13 are the anode-leads, which are connected with the carbons in the following manner; 14 14 are strips of copper, which are bent round the ends of the carbons in the I preferably keep the pressure in the elecl manner shown and connected by threaded bolts between the carbons in such manner as to grasp the-latter tightly and make good electrical connection. ductors 13 are'brought between the upper extremities of these copper strips and bound thereto by the threaded bolts 16, as shown. 17 18 19 17 18 19 are orifices constituting parts of the tubes hereinbefore referred to and hereinafter to be described.

In Fig. 5, which showsa diaphragm of any convenient material-such, for example, as asbestos-plate or asbestos fabricthe parts outside the dotted line 20 are impregnated with parallin, so as to render them non-porous. parts of the tubes liereinbetore mentioned.

Fig. 6 is a distancepiece which when placed between two diaphragms combines with these diaphragms to embrace a space which constitutes the eleetrolyte-chamber 24. This distance-piece is also furnished with orifices 26 27 25 26 27, which, like the corresponding orifices in the cathode, anode, and diaphragm, constitute parts of the tubes of the circulating system.

Fig. 7 shows a non-porous distance-piece which, however,

the outer boundary of an anode or cathode chan'iber. Such distance-pieces are not employed when cathodes such that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 or anodes such as that shown in Figs. 3 an d 4 are employed.

in Figs. 8 and 9, which are respectively an end elevation and a side elevation of a complete battery, (1, a arethe anodes, b b are the cathodes, (Z (l the diaphragins, and p 1) the distance-pieces, the latter serving to inclose the electrolyte-chambers. When these parts are arranged in the order shown in Fig. 9 and pressed together between the end plates by means of the screw 31 and hand-wheel 32, the orifices 4 5 6 4 5 6 of the cathodes, those (21 22 23 21 22 3) of the diaphragins, those (25 26 27 25 26 27) of the distancepieces, and those (l7 l8 l9 l7 l8 19) of the anodes all coincide and form continuous tubes or ducts. The uprights 33 and girders 34'and 35 constitute a frame for supporting the several parts, and it will be seen that while the anodes rest upon the lower girders 34 the cathodes, by means of their brackets 3,rest upon the girders 35. T he near girder 35 is shown as broken away in Fig. 9 except at the ends, so as not to interfere with the view of the other parts. The position of these girders 35 is, however, clear from Fig. 8. 36 is the feed-cistern for the brine, and 37 38 are respectively outflowcister1,1s for the products from the cathode and anode chambers, respectively. 39 4t) 41 are separators, to be hereinafter referred to. From these separators the downward and have drain-cocks 45 46 47 at heir lower extremities. These separatoiis The ends of the con first anode, 22'

The orifices 2]. 22 23 21 22 23 form' the anodcs,'and pipe 43 to the separator 40.

is only used when a flat anode or cathode is employed, so to form I pipes 42 43 44 passand pipes connect with the three double lines of holes in the elements making up the battery, so that three continuous tubular circuits are formed. Thus the tubular circuit from the feed-cistern 36 is by the series of central holes 5 of the first cathode, 22 of the first diaphragm, 26 of the first distancepiece, 22 of the second diaphragm, 18 of the of the third diaphragm, and so ,onto the rear end (right-hand. end of Fig. 9) of the battery, then upward by the middle one of the three parallel pipes 48 and back by the central holes 5 of the cathodes, 22 of the diaphragms, 26 of the distance-pieces, 18 of Similarly, separator 39 and pipe 42 are in connection with the series of orifices 6 23 27 19 6 23 27 19 and outflow-cistern 37, while separator 41 is in connection with pipe 44, orifices 4 21 25 17 4 21 25 17, and outflow-cistern 38.

It will be seen from Fig. 6 that the electrolyte-chamber 24 opens into the orifices 26 26, from Figs. 1 and 2 that the interior ot the cathode--chamber opens into the orifices 6 6, and from Figs. 3 and 4 that the interior of the anode-chamber o ens into the orifices 17 i7. l/Vhen, there ore, brine is fed from the feed-cistern 36'through the lower duct constituted by the centre line of lower ori- 'lices, it rises from the orifices 26 into the electrolyte-chambers. 24 and upward through the or fices 26 to separator 40. Owing, however, to thepressurc due to the head of the brine in the feed-cistern, the brine is pressed from the electrolyte-chambers through the diaphragnis, where it is electrolyzed in the anode and cathode chambers, respectively, in the usual manner. The products fromthe cathode-chamber pass into the orifices 6 and 6' to the separator 39 and outflow-cistern 37, while the products from the anode-' chamber pass by the orifices 17 17 into separator41 and outflow-cistern 38. Within the se )arators the liquids and gases are separate from one another, the subsequently passing upward through the pipes 50, 51, and 52 and the liquids again through the cells and. into the outflowcisterns or directly into said outflow-cisterns. Thus from the cathode-chambers hydrogern caus tic-soda solution, and, undecomposed brine pass through the orifices 6 6 to the separator 39, the hydrogen passing 06' through tube 50 and the brine and caustic-soda solution passing partly back again to the cathodechambers and partly into the outflow-cistern 37. (listern 37 is en'1 ;)tied from time to time, and the mixture of brine and caustic-soda solution is afterward treated in any of the known ways, such treatment forming no part of my present invention.- Similarly, the chlorin-gas liberated in the anode-char]lber passes through the orifices l7 17 to the separator 41', where it leaves the brine and passes r30 iIo sired manner-as, for example, by means of a ball-cockthe head in the feed-cistern 36 may be maintained constant.

I have hereinbefore referred to the form of distancepie'ce shown in Fig. 7,"which, however, is only used when I employ fiat cathodes and anodes. In this case (as also'in the distance-piece shown in Fig. 6) the solid part 55, surrounding the central openpart 56, constitutes the outer walls of an electrode-chamber, the side walls being constituted by electrodes.

Figs. 10 and 11 show a Hat wrought-iron cathode I having orifices therein which, together with other orifices, as hereinbefore mentioned, serve to constitute tubes or ducts.

It will be seen that certain of the orifices such, for example, as 4 and 4, Fig. 1, and 19 and 19, Fig. 3have protecting-linin s. These are for the purpose of protecting t e material in which the orifices are made from the action of the fluids passing through them.

It will be seen from reference to Figs. 1 and 2 that the cathode is made of such sha e as to constitute a cathode-chamber, in so ar as the cavity-spaces surrounding the projections 2 2 are concerned, and the same may be said of the cavity-spaces surrounding the carbons 8 8 of the anodes constituting an anode-chamber.

r I have hereinbefore referred to the tubular circuits, and these greatly enhance the efficiency of the cell, as they prevent the products of the electrical action from accumulating at any one point more than at another, and they insure a vigorous circulation being kept up through the pressure of the liberated gases.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an electrolytic cell,. an anode com prising a frame, two series of carbons, one supported in each side of said frame, and copper bands connecting the outer ends of said carbons, substantially as set forth.

.2. In an electrolytic cell, a cathode having projections onthe opposite faces thereof, a laterally-extending rim around said cathode, the outer surfaces of said projections being arranged within the planes of the lateral faces of said rim, and diaphraglns arranged against the lateral faces of said rim, the intermediate spaces between the 'diaphragms and the faces of the cathode constituting cathode-chambers. other source of supply regulated in any de 3. In an electrolytic cell, a cathode having projections on the opposite faces thereof, the projections on one facebeing staggered with relation to those on the opposite face, a laterally-extending rim around said cathode, the outer surfaces of said projections being arranged withinthe planes of the lateral faces of said rim, and diaphragins arranged against the lateral faces of said rims, the intermediate spaces between the diaphragms and the faces of the cathode constituting cathodecharnbers.

4. In an electrolytic cell, electrodes having rims with series of apertures in the upper and lower portions thereof and extending from one lateral face thereof to the other, the apertures in each electrode registering with the corresponding apertures in the other electrodes and constituting elements of cir cuits for the assage of the electrolyte and products of ecomposition, and anode and cathode chambers formed between the planes of the opposite faces of the rims of each of said electrodes, said electrodes also having passages communicating with said electrodechambers and with the circuits for the prodnets of decomposition.

5. In an electroytic cell, electrodes havin runs with series of apertures in the upper an lower portions thereof and extending from one lateral face thereof to the other, said electrodes having passages communicating with said a ertures, anode and cathode chambers forme between the planes of theopposite faces of the rims of each of said electrodes, said a ertures constituting elements of an electroIyte-circuit and of circuits to and from said electrode-chambers, a separator arranged in each of said circuits, an outflowcistern connecting .with each of the circuits to and from the electrode-chambers, and a pressure-supply source connecting with said electrolyte-circuit. Y

In witness whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT H. F. FINLAY.

Witnesses: I I

JAMES, PERoY. HEYwooD D. BUTLER. 

